A profound silence descended upon the battlefield. Neither Kakuzu nor Hidan spoke; in this desolate theater of war, Kanon was the only one left standing.
Even Naruto could only lie there, his head pillowed on Kanon's lap. He was physically shattered, yet a faint smile played on his lips.
"You idiot," she muttered. "What are you smiling about?"
"It's just... nostalgic," Naruto sighed.
"Nostalgic? How?"
"Back then, I used to lie like this on your lap, just looking out over Konoha."
"There is nothing worth remembering about those times."
"But I do remember. More importantly... why did you save me?"
At Naruto's words, Kanon fell silent.
Images flickered through her mind: her parents and her kin slaughtered by her own brother; her own name added to his death list; the agonizing struggle to survive the night of the Uchiha Massacre. She had once believed she could live a stable life in Konoha, that she could truly be friends with everyone.
Then came the darkness. At barely twelve years old, Danzo had marked her. The assassins of Root hunted her. The Hidden Leaf, the strongest of the Great Five, branded her a rogue. Her former comrades became her pursuers. Because of her failure, Sasori had fallen in battle. Even Kakashi and Sakura of Team 7 had given up on her.
Now, Kanon's eyes no longer saw a future, she stood on the precipice of total annihilation. She had transformed from a kind, idealistic girl into a manic, pathological avenger. The world had abandoned her, yet her best friend and her own brother still held her in their hearts, burying their love for her beneath layers of grief.
Perhaps this was why she chose not to kill Naruto today. But it was not enough to make her turn back.
"There won't be a next time, Naruto."
Kanon stood abruptly, kicking Naruto aside. She ignored his pained grunt. Even Naruto noticed the ache in his chest was fading; the Nine-Tails' chakra was already knitting his wounds.
"Kanon…" Before he could speak, Kanon pivoted and drove a heavy fist into his abdomen.
The sheer force sent Naruto spinning through the air before he crumpled into the dirt. The weight of the blow was so immense that he lost consciousness instantly.
"Kanon-chan, aren't you going to finish him?" Hidan asked.
"He is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He cannot be killed yet."
"Fair enough. What about the others?"
"I sense dozens of Konoha shinobi closing in. They'll be here in less than a minute. We retreat."
"Fine," Hidan grumbled. His body had been blown to pieces; Kanon had only recovered a few of his limbs. He knew he would have to find a way to reconstruct himself back at base. The realization that it would take two or three years to fully recover his physical form left him sullen.
Kanon moved to Kakuzu's side and hoisted him up.
Naruto groaned, staggering to his feet as he watched them prepare to leave. His expression was twisted with agony. Once again, he had failed to bring her home.
Kanon had achieved her objective: she had reinforced Hidan and Kakuzu and ensured their survival. With a final glance, the three vanished into a swirling vortex of rose petals.
Naruto looked around at the fallen, broken forms of his comrades. He lowered his head. Though he had once been a "dead-last," he wasn't stupid. If Kanon had truly harbored intent to kill, none of them would have survived that crater.
"Kanon... no matter how deep you sink into the darkness, I will pull you out of the mire of revenge!"
His thoughts drifted to Sasuke, Kanon's brother. He had been too weak before, but now, he finally possessed the strength to seek him out.
The battle ended with the Akatsuki's withdrawal. A minute later, the Konoha reinforcements arrived and began the grim task of evacuating the wounded.
The mission was recorded as a success: two Akatsuki members had been severely wounded. Though the appearance of the rogue Kanon Uchiha had prevented their total elimination, the morale of the Great Nations soared. The Akatsuki had bled. For the first time, the world saw that they were not invincible.
…
The Hidden Rain Village
In a secluded chamber provided by Konan, Kakuzu and Hidan began their long recovery. Kakuzu would require up to a year of rest; Hidan, whose body needed to regenerate from scraps, would be out of action for at least three.
After Konan had settled them, Pain turned to Kanon.
"Kanon, what are your plans now?"
"Senpai," the fifteen-year-old Uchiha girl replied, "I will be withdrawing from the Tailed Beast capture operations for the time being."
Pain nodded. She had already secured three Tailed Beasts for him; he would respect her need for respite.
"The curtain is rising on my vengeance. After a short period of recovery, the play begins."
"I need to make preparations with my brother."
"Orochimaru's jutsu, his 'Living Corpse Reincarnation,' is nearing its cycle," Pain reminded her.
"Him?" Kanon scoffed, her voice filled with pride. "I have no fear of that snake taking my brother's body. My brother is strong."
She paused, then inclined her head.
"And your next move?" Pain asked.
"To find Itachi. To kill the beast who brought shame to our name."
"It is finally time?"
"Yes," Kanon nodded. "The stars have aligned. I must prepare. Farewell, senpai."
As she walked away, Konan stepped closer to Pain, her brow furrowed. "It's finally starting, isn't it?"
"Yes. This battle may change everything," Pain said softly. "In this cursed world, peace is a luxury. But I believe she might surpass Yahiko and me. She might find a new answer."
Pain turned back toward the shadows of the Rain. "Prepare to hunt the Six-Tails."
…
Five Days Later, Konoha.
The recovery teams had returned, and the survivors gathered in the Hokage's office.
"Well done, everyone. The immediate crisis is averted, but the Akatsuki remain," Tsunade said. "We cannot lower our guard."
She turned her gaze to Naruto's bandaged arm. "Naruto, what happened to your hand?"
"Even though he's had basic treatment..." Sakura answered for a hesitating Naruto.
"To be safe, go to the hospital for a full check-up. Your discharge will be delayed a few days," Tsunade commanded. "I've been too busy lately, but I'll come by to check on it myself soon."
She dismissed the teams, and as the evening sun dipped below the horizon, the group headed to Ichiraku Ramen.
Inside the shop, Kakashi found Naruto fuming at Sai.
"What's the trouble?" Kakashi asked.
"Sakura-chan was finally going to feed me! And then this guy!" Naruto yelled.
"The books say that when a friend is in need, one should step in to help. That is a true friend," Sai said blandly.
"Read the room before you read your books! Dattebayo!"
Ultimately, it was Kakashi who ended up feeding Naruto his ramen.
"Kakashi-sensei, it's a miracle you're not sleeping in a hospital bed for a month this time," Sakura noted.
Kakashi sighed. "Is that really the impression I leave? It's a bit wounding." He looked down at his hands. "Still... I only used the Mangekyo Sharingan once, and Kanon suppressed it. It's frustrating."
Seeing Naruto's somber mood, Kakashi clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, you have become strong. Truly. You have surpassed me."
"But remember, the more powerful the jutsu, the greater the danger to the user."
Naruto nodded solemnly. "I'll keep getting stronger."
As they left the shop, they ran into Jiraiya, who had just returned to the village.
"You lot seem to be enjoying yourselves as much as ever," Jiraiya laughed.
"Pervy Sage!"
"Oho, you're more energetic than I expected, Naruto." Jiraiya patted him on the shoulder, only for Naruto to wince in pain.
"Idiot, your bones haven't even finished knitting yet," Sakura sighed.
Jiraiya roared with laughter. "You haven't changed a bit!"
Then, Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged a brief, knowing look, a silent communication of the dark intelligence gathering on the horizon.